1 O n the tenth day of the fifth month in the seventh year, some of the leaders of Israel came to ask the Lord’s will, and they sat down in front of me.

In the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of Yahweh, and sat before me.

2 T he Word of the Lord came to me saying,

Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

3 “ Son of man, speak to the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “Have you come to ask My will? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not let you ask me anything.”’

Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you.

4 W ill you judge them, son of man? Will you judge them? Make known to them the sinful things their fathers did.

Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers;

5 T ell them, ‘The Lord God says, “On the day I chose Israel, I raised My hand and made a promise to the children of the family of Jacob and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I made a promise to them, saying, ‘I am the Lord your God.’

and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In the day when I chose Israel, and swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I swore to them, saying, I am Yahweh your God;

6 O n that day I promised to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land I had chosen for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.

in that day I swore to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands.

7 I said to them, ‘Each of you get rid of the sinful things you have looked upon. Do not make yourselves sinful with the false gods of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’

I said to them, Cast away every man the abominations of his eyes, and don’t defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am Yahweh your God.

8 B ut they turned against Me and would not listen to Me. They did not get rid of the sinful things they had looked upon. And they did not turn away from the false gods of Egypt. “Then I said that I would be angry with them. I would send My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

But they rebelled against me, and would not listen to me; they each didn’t throw away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the middle of the land of Egypt.

9 B ut I acted for the good of My name. I did what would keep My name clean in the eyes of the nations they lived among, in whose eyes I made Myself known to them by bringing My people out of Egypt.

But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, among which they were, in whose sight I made myself known to them, in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.

10 S o I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the desert.

So I caused them to go out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.

11 I gave them My Laws and made known to them My Words, which bring life to anyone who obeys them.

I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them.

12 I gave them My Days of Rest to be something special to see between Me and them, so they would know that I am the Lord Who makes them holy.

Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.

13 B ut the people of Israel turned against Me in the desert. They did not obey My Laws, and they turned away from My Words which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They made My Days of Rest very sinful. Then I said that I would be angry with them in the desert and destroy them.

But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they didn’t walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keep, he shall live in them; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

14 B ut I acted for the good of My name. I did what would keep My name clean in the eyes of the nations who saw Me bring them out of Egypt.

But I worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.

15 S o I promised them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them, the land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.

Moreover also I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;

16 T his was because they turned away from My Laws and did not obey My Words. They did not keep My Days of Rest holy, for they followed after their false gods with all their heart.

because they rejected my ordinances, and didn’t walk in my statutes, and profaned my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.

17 Y et I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them. I did not make an end of them in the desert.

Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I didn’t destroy them, neither did I make a full end of them in the wilderness.

18 “ And I said to their children in the desert, ‘Do not keep the laws of your fathers, or follow their ways, or make yourselves sinful with their false gods.

I said to their children in the wilderness, Don’t walk in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

19 I am the Lord your God. Keep My Laws and obey My Words.

I am Yahweh your God: walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them;

20 K eep My Days of Rest holy, and they will be something special to see between Me and you. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’

and make my Sabbaths holy; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.

21 B ut the children turned against Me. They did not keep My Laws or obey My Words which bring life to anyone who obeys them. They did not keep My Days of Rest holy. So I said I would be angry with them. I would send My anger against them in the desert.

But the children rebelled against me; they didn’t walk in my statutes, neither kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them; they profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.

22 B ut I held My hand back, and acted for the good of My name, to keep it clean in the eyes of the nations who saw Me bring them out of Egypt.

Nevertheless I withdrew my hand, and worked for my name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.

23 A nd I promised them in the desert that I would send them everywhere among the nations and spread them out among the lands.

Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries;

24 T his is because they had not obeyed My Words. They had turned away from My Laws and did not keep My Days of Rest holy. And they worshiped the false gods of their fathers.

because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes, and had profaned my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.

25 T hen I gave them laws that were not good, and words they could not live by.

Moreover also I gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances in which they should not live;

26 A nd I let them become sinful because of their gifts. I let them give all their first-born sons as burnt gifts. This was to punish them and show them that I am the Lord.”’

and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused all that opens the womb to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Yahweh.

27 “ So, son of man, speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord God says, “This is another way that your fathers have brought shame to My name by not being faithful to Me.

Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In this moreover have your fathers blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.

28 I brought them into the land I promised to give them. And when they saw all the high hills and trees with many leaves, they gave their gifts on all of them and made Me angry. They also burned special perfume there, and poured out their drink gifts.

For when I had brought them into the land, which I swore to give to them, then they saw every high hill, and every thick tree, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering; there also they made their pleasant aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings.

29 T hen I said to them, ‘What is this high place you go to?’ So it is called Bamah to this day.”’

Then I said to them, What does the high place where you go mean? So its name is called Bamah to this day.

30 S o tell the people of Israel, ‘The Lord God says, “Will you make yourselves sinful in the same way your fathers did, and go after their sinful things?

Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Do you pollute yourselves in the way of your fathers? and do you play the prostitute after their abominations?

31 W hen you give your gifts and make your sons go through the fire, you are making yourselves sinful with all your false gods to this day. Am I to let you question Me, O people of Israel? As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will not let you ask Me anything.

and when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? and shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you;

32 Y ou say, ‘We will be like the nations, like the people of the lands, who serve wood and stone.’ But what you have in mind will never happen. Israel Will Come Back to God

and that which comes into your mind shall not be at all, in that you say, We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.

33 “ As I live,” says the Lord God, “I will be King over you, and will rule with a powerful hand, a strong arm, and with anger.

As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out, will I be king over you:

34 I will bring you out of the nations and countries where you have been divided. I will gather you together with a powerful hand, a strong arm, and with anger.

and I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries in which you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out;

35 I will bring you into the desert of the nations, and there I will punish you face to face.

and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there will I enter into judgment with you face to face.

36 A s I punished your fathers in the desert of Egypt, so I will punish you,” says the Lord God.

Like as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I enter into judgment with you, says the Lord Yahweh.

37 “ I will hold power over you and make you obey the agreement.

I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;

38 I will take away from among you all those who sin or who turn against Me. I will bring them out of the land where they are living, but they will not go into the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and those who disobey against me; I will bring them out of the land where they live, but they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and you shall know that I am Yahweh.

39 A s for you, O people of Israel,” the Lord God says, “Go and serve your false gods, every one of you, now and later if you will not listen to Me. Do not ever again bring shame to My holy name with your gifts and your false gods.

As for you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: Go, serve everyone his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.

40 F or on My holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,” says the Lord God, “all the people of Israel will serve Me in the land. There I will receive them. And there I will ask for the best of your gifts, with all your holy things.

For in my holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord Yahweh, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them, serve me in the land: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your offerings, with all your holy things.

41 I will receive you as the pleasing smell of special perfume, when I bring you out of the nations and gather you from the different lands where you have been sent. And I will prove Myself holy among you in the eyes of the nations.

As a pleasant aroma will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries in which you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.

42 T hen you will know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land I promised to give to your fathers.

You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country which I swore to give to your fathers.

43 T here you will remember your ways and all the bad things you did to make yourselves sinful. And you will hate yourselves in your own eyes for all the sinful things you have done.

There you shall remember your ways, and all your doings, in which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed.

44 Y ou will know that I am the Lord when I honor My name by being good to you even though your ways have been sinful and you have done many sinful things, O people of Israel,” says the Lord God.’” Words against the South

You shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have dealt with you for my name’s sake, not according to your evil ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, you house of Israel, says the Lord Yahweh.

45 T he Word of the Lord came to me saying,

Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,

46 “ Son of man, look toward the south. And speak out against the south and against the land of many trees in the Negev.

Son of man, set your face toward the south, and preach toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the field in the South;

47 S ay to the land of trees in the Negev, ‘Hear the Word of the Lord. The Lord God says, “See, I am about to start a fire that will destroy all of your green trees and all of your dry trees. The hot fire will not be put out, and every face from south to north will be burned by it.

and tell the forest of the South, Hear Yahweh’s word: Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burnt thereby.

48 E veryone will see that I, the Lord, have made the fire. It will not be put out.”’”

All flesh shall see that I, Yahweh, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.

49 T hen I said, “O Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling picture-stories?’”

Then I said, Ah Lord Yahweh! they say of me, Isn’t he a speaker of parables?